Newcastle's flaky win has Roeder musing on a solid back four

Sunday 11 February 2007 21.08 EST
First published on Sunday 11 February 2007 21.08 EST

On a toe-freezing, head-scratching afternoon Geordies were left cold, hot, enthused and bemused as to how Newcastle United won this game and how a side who conceded so many chances still prompted admiration for a couple of their defenders. But Celestine Babayaro and Oguchi Onyewu walked away winners and with their reputations enhanced. While a couple of poor performances can change opinions quickly, Glenn Roeder will hope this day was the beginning of something, specifically a proper back four of the type Liverpool used to possess.

Only Manchester United have conceded fewer goals - one - than the new Merseyside franchise, so they deserve leeway, but Liverpool's defence were culpable. José Reina and Daniel Agger were responsible for Obafemi Martins' equaliser and John Arne Riise erred in bringing down the Greg Louganis of Tyneside, Steven Taylor, to allow Nolberto Solano to score the winner from the spot. "Stupida" was Rafael Benítez's verdict, not once but twice.

Of course, had Craig Bellamy and the fitful Boudewijn Zenden done more with the opportunities they were given in the first half, the result and the subsequent discussion would have been markedly different. But Newcastle bumbled through, not for the first time this season riding luck with the vigour of Tony McCoy.

Yet good fortune is a requirement for any prosperous team and Newcastle cannot be accused of lacking all but luck. It is no more than accurate reporting to say Bellamy's sixth-minute opener meant that Newcastle are now 17 games from their last clean sheet - at Eintracht Frankfurt in November - but in the 13 Premiership matches that have followed they have won seven, lost four and drawn two.

That is just over a third of a league season and, if replicated throughout, would bring the Geordies a points total between 65 and 70. Last season Arsenal finished fourth on 67 points.

It feels close on illogical to speculate like this but the fact is that a win-one-lose-one type of team - which Newcastle are - will amass 57 points at the end of a campaign. Three seasons ago Newcastle finished fifth on 56 points. Last season 58 points got them to seventh. With 11 games to go Newcastle have 36 points but the top five have been visited. If Michael Owen makes a return on March 31 against Manchester City, he will have seven games to help them back into Europe.

This all seemed ludicrously optimistic when Bellamy was tearing Newcastle apart in the opening 20 minutes. His goal, with Babayaro at fault, should have been succeeded by at least two more. But Steve Harper made a telling save to nudge a 34th-minute Bellamy shot on to the crossbar seconds after Titus Bramble scrambled another Bellamy effort away. This could be termed good defending but not by home fans peering through their fingers.

However, it worked, half-time was reached and after the interval Liverpool were blunt. Steven Gerrard still showed touches of class but Bramble and Onyewu stabilised. Onyewu - Gooch to everyone - was making his home debut. On loan from Standard Liège, the 6ft 4in American must feel as if he is on trial but he will earn the Tyneside contract he desires if he remains uncomplicated but effective.

"That's what a good defender does," Roeder said of Onyewu's meat-and-two-veg blocks and headers. "I say to all of them, 'Be safe.' You have to dominate down the middle of the pitch in the air, otherwise you're being turned around. We haven't done that for a long while. He's got the ability to do that, he plays a nice simple game - wins ball, gives it, job done. That's a good defender for me."

Roeder then said something rarely heard from a Newcastle manager: "I'm determined we will get a back four in place that Shay Given and Steve Harper deserve. I don't think we've ever really nailed down a back four and that's what we want."

Few observers would say that Babayaro would feature in any great back four but the Nigerian played despite Friday night's death of a younger brother from tuberculosis. He has now to decide whether to travel to Belgium for the Uefa Cup tie with Zulte Waregem on Thursday.

Roeder had particular sympathy. His father died on a Saturday late in the defender's career at Watford. Roeder chose to play at Hull that afternoon, where Watford kept a clean sheet.